New Zealand racing car drivers

There are quite a few famous racecar drivers who have come from New Zealand, and if you can’t remember any of them then this is just the list you need. These are/were some of the most prominent drivers in their respective fields:

Adam Richards

He is a drift racer from New Plymouth, NZ. He’s been drifting since 2003 and was awarded the D1NZ championship in 2005 while behind the wheel of a modified Nissan Cefiro. He also took part in the D1 World All-Stars Drift Championship twice.

Bert Hawthorne

He was a racing driver from NZ, to say the least. He was born in Northern Ireland but immigrated to NZ when he was just 13 years old. Sadly, his career was cut short when he died in 1972 at the age of just 29.

Brendon Hartley

He’s a professional racecar driver who is presently competing in the World Endurance Championship of the FIA for Porsche in the LMP1-H category. He’s just 27 years old and has a bright future ahead of him, to say the least.

Carl Ruiterman

He’s a drifting racer from Pukekohe, NZ. He was awarded the D1NZ championship in 2007 while behind the wheel of a Nissan Silvia S14. He debuted in the 2005 season behind the wheel of a Nissan Skyline R32. He also raced motocross for 3 years. It was only after breaking his elbow in a race that he decided to shift to drifting.

Chris Amon

He’s a former motorsport driver from NZ. He was a prominent part of the F1 during the 60s and 70s. He is a part of the list of talented F1 drivers who never won a championship Grand Prix. He also had quite the reputation for bad luck. He was born in Bulls, NZ and is perhaps the most popular name on this list.